Vegetable Couscous
A fresh, easy to make dish that can work as a side or main alike. Perfect for when you have to use up your veggies in the fridge or just need something easy to make when it's too hot to cook.
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Mixing bowl
- A couple of sauce pans and/or skillets
- A wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (red or yellow)
- 1 courgette
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp za'atar * (see after recipe to make for yourself if you don't have any premade)
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 8-12 almonds, roasted
- 250 ml chicken or vegetable broth (1 cup)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup dry cous cous
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander
Instructions
- Start by dicing very finely your onion, bell pepper, and courgette. Heat up half of the olive oil in a pan and add the vegetables when it's hot. Let them cook at a medium to medium-high heat for 5-7 mins until slightly browned. Stir frequently.
- While they cook, prepare the dressing by mincing the garlic cloves and adding them to the remaining olive oil along with the za'atar, lemon juice, cumin, and ground coriander. Whisk together and set aside.
- Go ahead and toast the almonds by putting them in a small skillet or sauce pan over medium-high heat, tossing them every 2 mins. Cook for 5-7 mins until darkened. Once cooked, roughly ground them in a mortar (or any other surface of your preference). You can also toast pre-flaked almonds for ease. They're gonna take less time but you need to be extra careful that not to burn them.
- To a small pot, add the turmeric and the chicken or vegetable stock. Whisk together and bring to a boil.
- Place the couscous in a mixing bowl. When the turmeric broth is ready, add it a few splashes at a time, making sure to mix the couscous thoroughly. It should look moist, but not soupy. Cover with clingfilm ideally and let it rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, chop the fresh coriander.
- Once ready, add the vegetables to the bowl and mix together. Add the dressing, almonds and fresh coriander. Serve away.